Socialist League of the New East as a project of unification of Russian emigration (1920s)

The activity of the League of the New East organization in the second half of the 1920s in its attempts to integrate a part of the Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian and Caucasian emigration is considered in the article. The Socialist League of the New East organisation was a form of political activity of the first wave of immigrants from the former Russian Empire due to the loss of confidence in traditional institutions. The preconditions of this project as an attempt to revive the pan-Slavic ideas in the socialist shell with taking into account the latest European and world integration trends are studied. The role of one of the leaders of the Russian socialist revolutionaries in emigration, V. M. Chernov, in the creation of the Socialist League of the New East is revealed. Chernov focused on the pan-European ideas (the slogan of the "continental Union", "United States of Europe"), which intensified in Europe after the First world war. The platform of the League and reaction of various political forces of the Russians abroad to its emergence is analyzed. The program provisions of the League of the New East provided for the division of the Soviet Union into seven independent national States -Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Then they would form a supranational Association with Poland, Finland and the Baltic States. This project caused a negative reaction of almost the entire socialist spectrum of Russian emigration (SR-party groups of different directions, social-democratic Mensheviks, etc.).) The modern domestic and foreign historical literature devoted to the League of the New East is considered, and the features of studying of the League in the post-Soviet space are noted. The reasons for the failure of the League of the New East project as an organization of multidimensional political forces were expressed. For Chernov and his Russian comrades it was an idealistic attempt to revive pan-Slavic ideas in a socialist shell with taking into account the latest European and world integration trends. In addition, Chernov, who had virtually lost influence over the majority of the foreign socialist revolutionaries, was in dire need of a new platform for the realization of his political ambitions. However, for the nationalist socialists of the former Russian Empire the main thing was the recognition and support of Russian colleagues for their desire for de facto independence. As a result, this attempt to unite was rejected by the overwhelming majority of Russian emigrant socialists who were not ready to neglect the integrity of Russia. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

Keywords

Authors

References